Springtime brings more than just good weather at Millbrook High School. The months of  February and March are when students need to start making important decisions about the classes they want to take in the upcoming year. Choosing classes thoughtfully can put you on a good track for graduation.

  Every year when registration time comes around, students typically have many questions and concerns about what courses would be the best for them. There are some basic things to know. In order to graduate, students need twenty-six credits. Each student should have four english, math and history classes, three science in total. After students get the core classes out of the way, they are able to choose electives. At Millbrook, there are a lot of interesting electives to choose from. There are elective classes for the different common core subjects also. For example, a new humanities elective is Holocaust and Genocide Honors. Also, some examples of science electives include Marine Ecology and Forensic Science. It is also important to try out an elective in the arts department to have a wide variety of subjects in your schedule.

  For everyone except rising freshman, it is recommended to start taking a couple AP classes each year to get credit for college courses. In order to take an AP class, students must get a recommendation or get a teacher to sign off to give them permission to enroll for that class. Also, many students think that you have to have two language credits to graduate high school; this is not true. You do not have to take language classes; however, it is a good idea if you are planning to go to college. Senior Kaylyn Aguayo said, “Taking a language in high school is a good idea because it makes you a well-rounded person and looks extra good on a college application.” Students will need to have at least two language credits in order to attend most four year colleges. Millbrook offers Spanish, Chinese, Latin, and French. Another unique option for rising seniors is early graduation. With this option, students would take four classes for a semester and ideally have enough credits to graduate. If summer school or online classes are opportunities you are interested in, you would have to talk to a counselor about how to sign up.

  When choosing classes, you should set up an appointment with your counselor in Student Services. In order to make the best decisions about your classes, you need to have all the necessary information. Teens should know how many credits you have and how many more you need. Counselors and parents will be the best resources to help  determine what kind of classes you can handle, so hopefully you will be confident when it is registration time and you have to tell your counselor what your choices are for the next year.